October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. Financial Services Association is sharing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “Stop. Think. Connect.” campaign to raise awareness of cyber threats and provide practical tips and tools to improve online safety and make you, your family, and your workplace more secure.
At work and at home, one of the first lines of defense is a strong password. Here are some tips to create strong passwords:
- Don’t use passwords that are based on personal information that can be easily accessed or guessed.
- Don’t use words that can be found in any dictionary of any language.
- Develop a mnemonic for remembering complex passwords. Such as “My son went to Harvard in 2012!”. That password would be MswHi12!
- Use both lowercase and capital letters; use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.
Throughout the month, look for additional communications that will outline ways to protect yourself and Affinion. For more information on Cyber Security Awareness Month, visit http://www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect or http://www.stcguide.com/.
